February 11, 2010

Bulgaria reiterates non-GM stance

The agriculture minister of Bulgaria has reassured the people that the government would not allow GM products, but did not say if the country would be declared as GM-free.

The government has drafted a five-year moratorium on the cultivation of GM crops, said agriculture minister Miroslav Naydenov.

But non-government organisations, farmers and citizens, who have rallied against GM crops in the past weeks, called the proposed moratorium a political PR and manipulation aimed at bypassing public concerns. They threatened to stage a demonstration in front of parliament on Thursday to press deputies not to replace a ban on GM crop cultivation with a licensing regime.

Authorising GM food for consumption, processing or cultivation in Europe is a politically charged subject with many openly hostile to what they call "Frankestein foods".

Green groups, organic farmers and several politicians in Bulgaria warned that the government must not liberalise its GM legislation and give in to pressure from biotech and other industries.

The government has said it has not received any requests for cultivation of GM crops and denies any corporate pressure. Critics argue GM products threaten biodiversity, could contaminate conventional crops, and also pose a health risk.